Perceptions of Disability Among Teaching and Administrative Staff at a Japanese University

In recent years, accessibility and inclusivity have become focal points for educational institutions around the world.The inherent diversity of these communities necessitates identification of barriers and efforts toward providing solutions for historically marginalized groups such as people with disabilities.This preliminary study, which is based on the work of Brown et al. (2023), reports the findings of a survey about perceptions of disability.It was given to a diverse group of teaching and administrative staff at a university of international studies in Japan.An analysis of the data found that most respondents had a general understanding of disability, with some displaying more complex insights in the language used to describe it.This is perhaps informed by their own experiences with disability or those of others in their communities.Additionally, it was evident that perceptions of disability were affected by social and cultural norms.Based on these findings, the final section of the paper outlines a few steps that can be taken to promote and strengthen inclusive practices. How Culture Defines DisabilityIt is important for us to take context -institutional, societal, and cultural -into consideration.Different cultures will have varying definitions and outlooks regarding disability.In an analysis of Japanese perceptions of disability, Iwakuma (2005) discusses two socially driven disability discourses that have a powerful influence on perceptions of disability in Japan.These discourses dictate that all members of society, especially people with disabilities, adhere to the mindsets of 'try harder' and 'do not Woldeab, S.